More Than You Know
by Rori Potter
Summary: Amaryllis needed a new start after the war. Don never seemed to find the right girl. When a chance encounter brings them together they find more than love, they find everything they had been looking for. APB(FemHarry)/DF
1. Green Eyes

More Than You Know

Chapter 1

Green Eyes

 _I'm not in love_

 _I do think I have tried._

 _It cost too much_

 _I don't have the money or the time._

 _Caused me to fall apart once or twice_

 _It's worse can lack the beautiful mess._

 _In a perfect world we never came_

 _Oh, we never left._

 _You remember what we were?_

 _Do you find out what a kiss is for right before you die?_

Rise by Will Dailey

Breathe. Run. Breathe. Run. Breathe. Run. Breath –

"That's hot!" Amaryllis hissed as she shook her hands trying to get rid of the coffee. She shifted around as she stood back up. She hardly noticed the hand that helped her up as she tried to gain her bearings. She hissed mentally as she spotted her scabbed knees and scrapped leg. Blood trickled down at uneasy pace. The coffee mixed in with the red of her blood on the sidewalk as she tried to remove what remained of the coffee on her shorts.

"Listen I am so sorry about this and I do want to make this up to you but I'm in a bit of a rush," the man quickly rattled off before she could even straighten herself out. Scant seconds later a small white card was shoved in her hand and the man was off. "Call me and I'll make it up to you!" Amaryllis watched the man as he took off once more. She sighed. It was only six in the morning, what a great way to start the day. As Amaryllis limped/walked back home she finally looked at the white card she was still clutching. _Detective Don Flack_ she read. Below his name was a couple of numbers listed and as she opened her door she decided she would in fact make use of the card in her hand.

-0-*-0-

"Get lost on your way in?" Danny questioned when Don walked up. Don scrunched up his face as he responded to Danny.

"No there was an accident blocking my way here so I had to come on foot to get here at all," Don corrected as he looked down at the body. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah it's a stiletto," Danny confirmed. Don blinked.

"Interesting choice of weapon," Don noted. "Means our killer is likely a female."

"Ah but you can't rule out males – crossdressing, transgender, and so on means a man might wear a stiletto as well," Danny corrected. "However considering the choice of weapon, this wasn't planned." Don nodded.

"I'm going to canvass the area and see if I can find any witnesses," Don said as he pulled out his pad and pen. Danny nodded and continued taking photos. Over the next few hours, Danny processed the scene with the help of Lindsey when she arrived. Don canvassed the area with several cops but did not come across any pertinent information. Once he finished talking to an older woman about her cats he headed over to the lab to see if they had found an I.D. on the John Doe. Before he could get very far out of the elevator, his phone rang. Without looking at the caller ID, he answered.

"Detective Flack," he said automatically.

"Uh, hi?" the voice was hesitant. "You ran into me earlier today…spilling coffee on me?" Don reared back in surprise. The events from that morning rushed back to him. He remembered a beautiful young woman looking stunned – she had just been covered in coffee.

"Ah yes, I am so sorry about that," Don apologized. "I had to rush in to work but I was on foot because of an accident nearby. I should have been more careful."

"Probably a good idea," she agreed. "I'm calling because you said you'd make it up to me."

"I did," Don remembered. "Are you collecting?"

"I suppose I am."

-0-*-0-

When she saw him, she was surprised. It was not every day that a grown man would sit in front of a restaurant ignoring the world around him. From what she could tell, he had been crying. He was staring straight ahead, not blinking. She crouched down in front of him.

"Excuse me are you okay?" Amaryllis asked. He jerked up in surprise. He really had been ignoring the world around him.

"No – no I'm not," he told her. He rubbed his face. "I just – I can't go home without thinking about how I'll never hear his laughter or hear him bang at my door early in the morning so he could ride his bike." Amaryllis took a seat next to him on the sidewalk. "He was just 10 years old. He had a great life ahead of him." She could see him slowly losing it; he wasn't fighting the tears anymore.

"I was a year and half old when I was first confronted with death," Amaryllis admitted. Danny turned toward her startled. "My parents were in a special branch of MI6. At the time, there had been a series of unexplained deaths. Scotland Yard was stumped. It got the attention of MI6 when an agent was killed. The deaths were all across the board – families, groups of friends, a couple of kids, on and on. They couldn't find a pattern until the agent was killed. That agent was a school friend of my dad's and he decided to take a closer look. He figured out that a man was leading a group who were clearing the world of those they deemed of unclean blood.

"He got to close for the leaders taste and he put out a hit on my family – including me. Once the agency caught wind of it, we were sent into hiding. However, another agent – someone who had been close friends with my dad, betrayed us. After we went into hiding, there were several narrow escapes and the leader decided he was going to go after them personally.

"I can still hear my dad telling my mom that he was there and to take me and run. I could hear my dad fighting against him, see my mom crying, and then silence. Footsteps and mom cries harder. He walks in and my mom pleads with him for my life but he ignores her and kills her. He went for me and then – boom. The door was thrown open and down he went. My dad had managed to call for help before he was killed. It saved my life but not my parents.

"He managed to escape from prison when I was 11. For several years, he would try to kill me but when I was 14, MI6 decided to train me instead of just protecting me. When I was 18, he grabbed me after killing my two bodyguards. He taunted me telling me about how after he killed me he was going to go after my friends, teachers, even the man who sold me candy. He did not realize I had destroyed the restraints. I took him down but he fought back. He had a gun and we wrestled for it. It went off and he dropped to the ground. It was over." Although she was still talking, tears streamed down her face. She had accepted a handkerchief a few minutes before.

"I blamed myself for years that I didn't stop him sooner. In his journey to come after me, he had killed several people. I lost my godfather, several friends, classmates, even complete strangers – all gone before they could truly live. I never had a childhood; I lost it the same day my parents were murdered. That young child no doubt witnessed something that would have haunted him for the rest of his life. Because someone else made a choice that day his mom, his dad will not get to see him grow up and change the world one-step at a time. He could have done so many things but the fact is you did not kill him. Nothing you can do will change that. Thinking of all the 'what if's' will only drive you crazy because life can change in a second."

"It was a robbery," he told her. "We had just come from his bike being blessed. He was up in front of me when I heard the gun go off. I told him to go home; we were not far from home. He lived down the hall. I am a CSI and my first instinct was to go to the man bleeding in the store and trying to find out what happened. It was not until later, when I saw his body in the morgue, that I found out he never made it home. A stray bullet returned by the sister of the person who was hurt went through an orange and hit Ruben. He probably did not even realize he had been hit until he went down."

"I remember someone telling me when you have lost a loved one, eventually it's always better to carry a part of them with you, than to leave a part of you with them," Amaryllis told him.

"Thank you," Danny said. Amaryllis smiled.

"You're welcome," Amaryllis responded. "Would you like something to eat?"

-0-*-0-

 _Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._ Don looked at his watch again. She was 20 minutes later. He sighed. Maybe this was her collecting her payment, having him sit in a coffee shop making people feel sorry for him as he tapped the table and constantly looked at his watch. Finally, when his watch showed that she was now 30 minutes later he decided it was time to leave. He stood and –

"I'm here! I'm here," a female's voice broke through. Startled Don turned toward the voice. It was the woman from this morning. She looked harried but she was still put together. Don wondered what had held her up for over 30 minutes. She weaved through the tables and headed straight for him. She took the seat across from him while Don sat back down, bewildered.

"I am so sorry I am running late," she apologized. "I own several restaurants and a stove exploded at one of them. Thankfully, no one was too badly hurt but my manager of that restaurant was one of those injured so I was called into deal with everything. I just spent the past couple hours at the hospital, with the insurance agency, and so on. I was going to call but I killed my battery before I could." Don chuckled.

"It's alright I am well aware of how the job can take over your life," Don admitted. She smiled.

"I noticed your card said you are a detective," she remembered. "I can imagine you are up and all over all hours of the day because of that." Don chuckled and nodded.

"Very true," Don conceded. "Now that I am not rushing off to a crime scene, let me introduce myself. I am Don Flack, an NYPD detective. In addition, I am so sorry for spilling coffee all over you this morning. And you are?" She laughed at his introduction.

"I'm Amaryllis Potter-Black, business owner," she introduced herself. "And I accept your apology as long as you get me a hot chocolate as compensation." Don laughed. He could tell she was teasing him but Don stood and gave her a mock bow before he ordered her a hot chocolate. When he returned several minutes later, he had no idea that they would get along so well.

For the next couple of hours, the pair talked about a variety of subjects – ranging from family to the political situation in North Korea. After Amaryllis told him, about what happened to her parents and a bit of her childhood, Don took hold of one her hands to comfort her. It wasn't until his phone went off that he realized he hadn't released her hand. He gave her an apologetic look and answered the phone. He was being called to a crime scene. He put away his phone and stood.

"I am so sorry but it looks like I have to go, another crime scene," Don told her as he put on his coat. She stood and wrote something down on a napkin.

"Tonight, tomorrow night – whenever you and I will go on a date," Amaryllis told him when she handed him the napkin. Don looked at her surprised by how blunt she was being. "For some reason talking to you is the easiest thing I have done in a long time and although I don't like hot coffee being spilled on me, I'm glad it brought us together. I would like to think there was a reason I ran later than normal today, a reason why you did not use your car to get to the crime scene, and a reason why we were brought together. Who knows? Maybe it is nothing, maybe it is a love for the ages. Either way I would like to find out. What do you say?" At first, Don was stunned but looking at her and thinking over the past couple of hours, he realized she was right. Talking to her, being with her was so easy it felt right. Don looked at the napkin and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"I say that I am ready for the journey and I can't wait to find out," Don told her keeping his eyes on her eyes. He raised his hand and caressed the cheek he had just kissed. "I'll call you. Tonight, even if it is just to talk. We will have that date soon." Amaryllis smiled and leaned up and kissed his cheek then whispered in his ear.

"I look forward to it. Stay safe detective."

-0-*-0-

Don has seen many crime scenes in his life. Gruesome, dangerous, confusing, and bizarre were only a few descriptors of what he had seen. This one fell more into the confusing category.

"Is this become a new thing?" Danny asked while he processed the scene. Don raised an eyebrow at the man, wondering what he was talking about; as he crouched down to look closer at the scene.

"You showing up to crime scene late," Danny expanded. Don shook his head.

"I have a life Messer," Don told him. "I was on a date when I got the call so I was on the other side of town from the crime scene. It takes time to get across town, you know that." Danny snorted.

"Let me guess you were on a coffee date with some girl you badgered into going out with you," Danny ribbed Don. Don shot him a withering look.

"Actually no I met her this morning on the way to the crime scene," Don told him. "I spilled my coffee on her so I gave her my card and said I would I make it up to her. She called me late this afternoon. We talked for several hours."

"So are you going out again?" Danny asked as he pulled of his gloves. Stella and Mac walked over to them. The look on Mac's face told Don he knew something important.

"Yeah we are," Don confirmed. "What do you got Mac?"

"We have an ID on our victim," Mac told him. Don jerked back, surprised.

"That was fast," Don said. "Who is she?"

"Morgan Donnelly," Mac read off his pad. "She was reported missing by her boss, a manager at one of the locations of Marauder's Den. She's a waitress."

-0-*-0-

From the outside it appeared that, the diner was closed. However, the fact that they could see various people wearing the diner uniform told Don and Mac that was not entirely true; they were just closed to the public. The reason why, well they hoped they would find that out, and knocked on the door. An employee looked over at the door confused and spotting the badges went over to open the door.

"Hi how can I help you detectives?" the woman asked curiously.

"We need to speak to your manager," Don told the woman. The woman sighed.

"Well you will have to go to the hospital to do that," she told them. Both looked at her confused. "We had a stove explode earlier today and several employees, including the manager, were sent to the hospital with a variety of injuries. Nothing severe but the owner shut us down for a couple days to get everything back in order." Don and Mac exchanged looks.

"Is the owner here?" Mac asked. The woman nodded.

"Yeah she's in the back dealing with the insurance agent again," she told them. "I'll go get her." Don frowned as he thought back to something Amaryllis told him early that day. Before he could even finish his thought process, his beginning thought was confirmed.

"Hello detectives, how can I help you?" she asked walking up to them. She looked up and stopped when she saw whom she was talking to, Detective Don Flack. "Detective Flack good to see you again. Emma said you two wanted to talk to the manager here?"

"Yeah he filed a missing person's report a couple of days ago on Morgan Donnelly," Don informed her. Mac studied her as he tried to figure out why she seemed so familiar. Her eyes in particular seemed to bring forward memories but he was struggling to remember.

"He called me a couple of days ago saying one of the waitresses didn't show up for work again for the second time," Amaryllis recalled. "Normally that wouldn't be anything bad but when I went by her apartment she didn't respond to me asking to talk to her. I figured something was wrong and told him to file a missing person's report."

"Do you know of anyone in her life that would have cause to want her dead?" Mac asked. Amaryllis sighed.

"A week and half ago, I got a call from the manager saying he had to throw out her boyfriend," Amaryllis told him. "He showed up at her work and they got into a volatile argument. He called in the cops to have him removed because after he approached him and told him to leave he tried to fight the manger too. There should be a police report."

"Do you know what they were fighting about?" Don asked.

"Money," Amaryllis remembered. "It was about money. From what Anthony, the manager, told me it was not the first fight about money they had. I know that Morgan has two other jobs just to keep her head above water. We gave her as many hours as we could here but it didn't seem to be enough."

"Okay thank you," Don told her.

"If you know of anything else, let us know," Mac said as he handed her his card. She nodded and the two left.

-0-*-0-

Mac paced the length of his office as he thought about Amaryllis's eyes. They seemed so familiar but Amaryllis herself was a stranger. Why were her eyes, someone he had never met, so familiar to him?

"We caught the boyfriend," Don said without any preamble. "He killed her because she refused to give him anymore more money. Apparently, he had been spending his money on drugs and she refused to give him money to support the habit. So the case is closed but something else seems to be bothering you." Mac sighed.

"How do you know Amaryllis?" Mac finally asked after he was quiet for several more minutes. Don scrunched up his face wondering where Mac was going with this.

"I met her on the way to the crime scene this morning," Don told him. "I spilled my coffee on her in my rush to get there. I gave her my card, said to call me and I would make it up to her. I was with her when I got the call for this crime scene. Why?"

"I'm not sure," Mac admitted. "When I know, I'll let you know." Don nodded.

"Go home," Don, told him. "Get some sleep, maybe you will figure it out once you have a clear mind." Mac nodded and watched Don leave. He sat there for a few more minutes before heading home himself. He headed into his bedroom and pulled out an old shoebox. For the next hour, he looked through old photos, notes, and mementos of his past. It was when he found a picture from when he was in London teaching specialized training for soldiers that he realized why Amaryllis's eyes seemed so familiar.

He had gone out a couple of weeks into the program and met a woman at a bar. She had been crying because she had been recently informed her husband had been killed in the line of duty. For a whole month, they were lovers and friends. He almost believed that there could be a future for them, the white picket fence kind of future.

However once day he woke up to her packing all of her things. They began to argue because Mac feared she was leaving him for good. Then she told him the news. She had gone to boarding school and one of her close friends had been admitted to a hospital. Her friend had been missing for six months; they believed her to be dead. Marlene, her friend, had no family to take care of her and Lily had been her emergency contact. He let her go with a promise from her that she would return, she never did. He tried everything he could to find her but it seemed as though she disappeared into thin air. Comparing the picture of him and Lily to the one of Don and Amaryllis he realized something rather important, Amaryllis was Lily's daughter.


	2. Paint Me A Picture

More Than You Know

Chapter 2

Paint Me a Picture

 _Back it up, back it up_

 _Stop, fast-forward, rewind_

 _And watch the sun, watch the moon taking turns in the same sky_

 _And you were dead as the leaves, now you're new like the spring-time_

 _Back it up, back it up_

 _Stop, fast-forward, rewind_

 _And once it's done_

 _Oh we dreamed a life_

 _It was just like that, was like that_

 _And just like that, and just like that it's done_

Time Lapse Lifeline by Maria Taylor

Every painting seemed to bleed sadness; something Amaryllis was all too familiar with. The paintings themselves had a variety of darker colors and portrayed scenes over several years. At first that the scenes seemed idealist, childlike and the happiness reminded people of their own childhood but as the people in the art progressed, the darker the scenes became.

The first painting was a group of friends – three of them. They were standing outside in the snow arms thrown around each other, a snowman off to the left - bright, happy grins and pink cheeks depicting a joyful time in the snow. Red hair tangled, dirtied with blood, dirt, and guts as the young girl held up her friend's sister who was pale as paper and just as dirty was the next painting. Despite it all one of the girls had a grim smile as she limped forward.

The third painting was of a young woman sitting on a bench outside looking off in the distance. Behind her, the snow fell on a tall, gnarly tree. Although she was far from happy, a small smile was resting on her face. From then on, that young woman never seemed to be smiling in the paintings. The following painting seemed to be a step back in time. The same young woman was a toddler staring up at a serpent looking man with a young woman lying off to the side, dead.

One of the last paintings, the one Amaryllis and Don stood in front of, was of the woman from the previous paintings kneeling down next to a body, tears in her eyes. Behind her, a majestic castle and a war waged on. However, the artist managed to paint the scene so that the young woman was the focus of the beholder's eyes.

"She looks like you," Don noted as he looked over at Amaryllis to see her reaction. Amaryllis smiled sadly.

"She is me Don," Amaryllis admitted. She reached out to the painting, following her instinct, before she pulled back her hand remembering where she was. "I remember this." Don turned toward her stunned. Before he could say anything, a young man walked over.

"It's good to see you again Amaryllis," he said as he hugged her. She laughed but the happiness did not reach her eyes. However, a moment later she pulled away, a playful smile dancing on her face. A surge of jealousy had Don wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I see you went from photography to painting, Colin," Amaryllis noted. Colin nodded. "How is Dennis?"

"He's good," Colin, told her. "Do you remember Sally Anne?" Amaryllis tilted her head as she thought back.

"I do," she realized. "A Hufflepuff who was in the year below me. She struggled in Chemistry but was smart as a whip when it came to any type of math."

"Sally and Dennis married a few years ago," Colin, told her. "Dennis just told me they are expecting their second child."

"I will have to pass along my congratulations," Amaryllis said. Colin tilted his head in acknowledgement. "I see you found your passion and talent in painting."

"The paintings seem to just pull you in," Don pointed out. Colin smiled as he looked around the room.

"Thank you," Colin said. "But I am nowhere near my old mentor." Before either could say any more someone on the other side of the room called for his attention and with a quick goodbye, he was gone. Shortly after Don and Amaryllis left. Although they already had dinner and had gone to the art gallery neither wanted the date to end so they decided to walk around for a little while.

"Those paintings are about your life," Don realized. Amaryllis looked over at him.

"Pieces of it, yes," Amaryllis, agreed. "Colin was at my school, in the year below and in the same house. He loved to take pictures and he constantly did. He took plenty of my friends and I; however when I was 14 I was pulled out of conventional school so anything after that was painted from a memory, from words."

"That last painting you said you remember this, what happened?" Don asked. As they walked, Amaryllis told him. The last painting was three weeks before she encountered her parent's murderer for the final time. They had the same Alma matter and he decided to go after the students there to draw Amaryllis out. By the time any help could arrive to the school, over thirty people were dead, not all of them students, some were his followers.

Amaryllis, after some persuasion on her part, arrived with the rest of the calvary who stepped into the school only minutes before an explosion shook tore apart the building. The body she was kneeling next to was that of Cedric Diggory. He was a school prefect and the only one to die from the bomb. He had seen the bomb and at the cost of his own life, evacuated everyone to safety. The bomb blew before he could reach safety himself. Amaryllis had known him and dug through the debris to pull him out. As she finished she noticed the stunned look on Don's face. She had enough people feel sorry for her, worship her for what she had done so she began to pull away from his hold. Don resisted her efforts and they stopped walking. Don reached out and gently placed his hand on her cheek.

"You have gone through so much," Don said. "But to me you are still Amaryllis, the woman I spilled coffee on; the same woman that threw sugar at me when I told her I had never seen her favorite movie. What I learned only tells me how strong you are to still be here." Amaryllis studied him for a moment.

"Sometimes I don't think you are real," Amaryllis admitted. Don snorted.

"I'm real," Don said. "If I wasn't, would I have managed to spill coffee again, this time on myself?" Amaryllis laughed at the reminder. At the end of dinner, they shared a slice of cheesecake with some coffee. Somehow, without even realizing it, Don had knocked his coffee onto himself. It was not until he went to drink some more coffee that he realized what happened. He pulled her closer to him and moved a stray hair out of her way. After studying her for a moment, he leaned and they kissed. When they pulled back, Don realized he did not want to let her go but they were already standing outside her door.

"How does a date tomorrow night sound?" Don asked.

"Perfect," she said. He gave her one more kiss and wished her goodnight. He watched her go into her apartment before he left and began to head home himself.

-0-*-0-

"Mac what are you doing here?" Don asked when he noticed the man sitting on his apartment's doorstep. Mac looked up.

"I think it's time I let you know," Mac told him, cryptically. Don opened his door and the two headed to the living room. For a couple of minutes the two sat silently.

"Something about Amaryllis seemed familiar when we first met but I knew that I had never met her before," Mac told Don. "I took your advice and went home. I went through an old shoebox with pictures, letters, and mementos that I had. It was when I found this picture that I figured out why something about her seemed familiar." Mac handed Don the photo he had found earlier in the night. Looking at the photo, he immediately knew what had seemed so familiar about Amaryllis.

"Who is she?" Don asked.

"Lily Potter nee Evans," Mac told him. "She had just been told her husband was killed on the job when we met. We were together for a month before I woke up to her packing. Her friend, who had been missing for six months, had been found. She had no family and Lily was her emergency contact. I made her promise to come back to me but she never did. I tried finding her but it seemed like she disappeared into thin air. Do you know who Amaryllis's mother is?" Don sighed.

"She doesn't talk about her parents a lot Mac," Don told him. "They were murdered when she was a year and half old. She grew up her aunt's family and from what she told me, they would not let her ask anything about her mom or her parents. I do not think she knows a lot about them to begin with. All I really know is that they are dead."

"I know this puts you in a tight spot but if you can find out anything about her mother that will tell me if she is the woman I knew, I would really appreciate it," Mac told him. Don nodded.

"I'll see what I can do."

-0-*-0-

"I promise I am on way," Amaryllis said with a bit of laughter. Don grinned on the other end of the phone.

"You are running late," Don, pointed out. Amaryllis sighed.

"I know, I know," Amaryllis agreed. "I was actually going to be early when a car accident happened right in front of me. I gave my account to the cops but it took some time to get out of there."

"I hope you told them you were on your way to meet your detective boyfriend," Don playfully asked.

"I do believe I said something along those lines," she playfully told him. "I'm about two minutes away from the coffee shop. I am yours for the rest-" Before she could finish her sentence an explosion went off right next to her. Don was on his feet and out the door within seconds. Only a couple buildings down he could see where the explosion happened. He ran forward hoping to catch a glimpse of Amaryllis. He put the phone next to his ear hoping to hear Amaryllis's voice or something to tell him where she was. "Don it hurts. Don…" Her voice faded and Don felt his world fall around him.

The scene covered several blocks. Every CSI was on the scene waiting as search and rescue did their job first. While watching them work Mac noticed movement off to the side, Don Flack was trying to get closer. Mac exchanged a look with Stella and went over to where Don was arguing with an officer. Don was covered in dirt and had a few cuts on his hands and face.

"Flack what's going on?" Mac asked. Seeing that has attention been turned elsewhere, the cop left Don in Mac's hands.

"I was on the phone with Amaryllis when the explosion happened Mac," Don told him. "She is in there somewhere and they won't let me look for her."

"You have got to let them do their jobs Flack," Mac reminded him. Don let out a growl of frustration as he kicked at the sidewalk.

"We've got another one!" a search and rescue person shouted. "We have a mid to late twenty year old female, unconscious." Don turned to the voice. He studied the young woman being pulled out from the pieces of the building. His stomach dropped when he recognized the bottle green scarf he had bought her two weeks ago. Her black curls were caked in dirt and her body was covered in blood, dirt, and other unknown substances.

"That's Amaryllis, Mac that's her," Don managed. Mac turned to the rescue person.

"Stratford she's not a Jane Doe," Mac called out. "She doesn't have any blood relations alive. Detective Flack will go with her, he's her boyfriend and can tell you anything you need to know – medical, financial, and all of that." The rescue person nodded and Don mouthed 'thank you' to Mac before jumping into the ambulance with Amaryllis. It was a couple hours later when Mac arrived at the hospital. He found Don outside Amaryllis's room while a doctor checked on her.

"How many Mac?" Don asked.

"Two dead, six injured including Amaryllis," Mac told him. "The two dead were the store owners who were inside at the time of the blast. How is she?"

"They said she'll recover but it will take some time," Don told him. Mac nodded. "Lindsey came by and got her clothes, a sample of her blood, and everything else she needed."

"We will find out who did this Flack," Mac told him.

-0-*-0-

When the DNA results came up, Adam was not sure what to do. Uncomfortably he printed out the results, closed out of the information before heading to Mac's office, and took a seat. He only had to wait a few minutes before Mac walked back into his office.

"Adam is there something you need to tell me," Mac asked as he entered his office. Adam shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Boss you know the Walsh Store bombing?" Adam asked. Mac nodded. "Well one of the victims matched someone in our system."

"Matched who?" Mac asked curiously. Adam laughed nervously.

"Well the match was a familial match," Adam told him. "Well to you actually." Mac stared at him, stunned.

"Which victim?" Mac asked after he cleared his throat.

"Amaryllis Potter-Black," Adam told him. "According to DNA boss, she is your daughter."

-0-*-0-

The steady beeps kept Don sane as he sat next to her bed. She seemed small with the hospital gown swallowing her. Her pale face contrasted against her black hair. The wires running all over her seemed to bury her before she was even dead. Tears streaked down Don's face as he held her slack hand in his. When he heard the curtain open, he looked up and was surprised to see Mac standing there with a strange expression.

"I have been taken off the Walsh store bombing because of a conflict of interest," Mac told Don. Don stared at him.

"What conflict of interest?" Don wondered.

"One of the victims had a familial match to me," Mac said as he sat down. "Of course I was surprised because I didn't know I had a daughter." Don looked at Amaryllis wondering if she was whom he was talking about, if she was his daughter.

"According to DNA Amaryllis Potter-Black is my daughter."


	3. Photograph

More Than You Know

Chapter 3

Photograph

 _We keep this love in a photograph_

 _We made these memories for ourselves_

 _Where our eyes are never closing_

 _Hearts are never broken_

 _And time's forever frozen still_

 _Photograph_ by Ed Sheeran

Mac wasn't sure when he fell asleep but he knows he did as he is jerked awake suddenly when over the intercom he hears a female voice calling out, "Code blue! Code blue!" He feels his heart drop and feels like his lungs have suddenly become too small for him breathe. Beside him, he can see Don visibly panicking as well. The look of terror and devastation was clear in Don's eyes. Mac was reminded that despite the fact that Amaryllis was his daughter, Don and she had been dating for over six months now, he barely knew Amaryllis.

"Family of Amaryllis Potter-Black?" a voice cut through their panic. Mac's head snapped toward the direction of the voice. He stood.

"That's us," Mac told the doctor. "I'm her father." When he could see the doctor was about to protest that she was an orphan, Don stepped in.

"He just found out because of the explosion," Don explained. "They already know each other because of me. How is she?" Relieved the doctor answered.

"Due to the explosion, she has several serious injuries," the doctor explained. "She is stable but we will be keeping her for observation. She has a Grade 2 concussion. It is important to know that a Grade 2 concussion can feature brief memory loss, headaches, and confusion in addition to the most common symptoms which include dizziness, nausea, motion sickness, blurry vision, and impaired balance. Once we are sure that she will be okay, we can release her but she cannot be on her own because of the severity of her injuries. Her left leg is broken, she has several burns – mainly second degree but a couple third degree burns – that we want to keep an eye on for infection, her right arm is dislocated, and she has bruises all over. It'll be some time before she will be back up on her feet."

"But she will eventually be alright?" Don asked. The doctor nodded.

"She will have to go through a lot of physical therapy but she will be fine," the doctor agreed.

"Is she awake?" Mac asked. The doctor shook his head.

"No she is unconscious," the doctor pointed out. "She is being moved to a room right now."

0-0-*-0-

The waiting room was quiet despite the time of day. Amaryllis had woken up an hour ago and doctors had been with her since. They were conducting test after test. To their frustration, the doctors were not telling Don or Mac anything. When she had woken up, she had not recognized Don or Mac. The doctor told them it was possible she was suffering from amnesia or she was just confused before kicking them out of her room. While Don paced the waiting room, Mac was sitting in a chair staring off outside.

"What if I'm not a good father?" Mac suddenly wondered aloud. Don stopped and looked over at Mac. "I mean what if that is why Lily never told me I was going to be a father? What if she saw something I did not? I do not know her and she does not know me. I have missed so much of her life. I missed her first word, the first time she walked, her first day of school, and so much more. What if Amaryllis wants nothing to do with me?"

"Mac she already knows you," Don reminded him as he took a seat next to Mac. "Amaryllis and I have been dating for six months now. Do you think I have said nothing about you to her? No! I have talked to her about you a lot. Did you forget that she doesn't know what it's like to be a daughter either?"

-0-*-0-

"Yo Lindsey, what are you working on?" Danny asked as he put his gloves on. He had just finished catching up on his own cases and decided to help Lindsey out.

"I am working on the Walsh store bombing," Lindsey told him, slightly distracted as she sorted through the debris they had brought in. Danny nodded and was about to start looking at some evidence Lindsey had bagged when he looked at the white board. Lindsey had already pinned up the pictures of the victims, injured and dead. He was stunned to see Amaryllis's picture on the board.

"Lindsey why is she on the board?" Danny asked directing her attention to Amaryllis's picture on the board.

"She was injured in the bombing," Lindsey told him. "She was outside the store when the bomb went off. Why?"

"I know her," Danny admitted as he yanked his gloves and rushed out of the room. He hung up his lab coat and grabbed the package from inside of his locker before heading to the hospital. It took him only a few minutes of wondering through the hospital to find a nurse who knew where Amaryllis was recovering. He was walking up to the door when a doctor walked out. The man did not even notice him as he went past him and down the hall. He blinked and headed into the room. He could see her flipping through channels from her bed, somewhat awkwardly with her left hand.

"Hey Chicca, what are you watching?" Danny asked as he plopped into the seat next to her bed. Not having expected him to walk in or even heard him, she jumped.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" Amaryllis wondered.

"Well I'm a CSI and I was rather surprised to find out that you were in an explosion earlier today," Danny told her with a raised eyebrow. "I was even more surprised to discover that you are the same Amaryllis that Don is dating." Amaryllis blinked in surprise.

"That makes you Danny the CSI he works with," Amaryllis realized. "Small world." Danny tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"Something is bothering you," Danny noted. Amaryllis sighed.

"I was on the phone with Don when the explosion happened," Amaryllis told him. "According to the doctor when I woke up, I didn't recognize him or Mac. I may have freaked out at them a little." Danny winced.

"It'll be okay, both of them will understand especially considering the situation," Danny pointed out. Amaryllis sighed.

"I guess," Amaryllis agreed. "I just wish I could change things, make my past a little easier so I don't freak out on every person I see when I wake up and can't remember everything." Danny handed her a photo album. Bewildered she started flipping through it. There were a couple photos at the beginning of them when they first met and a couple of other situations – like when she tried to teach him how to make treacle tart. He had failed spectacularly.

"You can't rewrite your past any better than I could and you shouldn't," Danny pointed out. "Your past makes you who you are and Don knows that. You should too. Make the best of what you can, remember that." Amaryllis smiled.

"Thank you Danny," Amaryllis told him.

-0-*-0-

Amaryllis was sure she had seen far too much hospital TV. She was contemplating if she should try reading a book despite the fact that the complications from her injuries would make that pretty difficult. She was frowning at the book on her bedside table when she heard a knock on her door. She looked up to see Mac standing hesitantly in the doorway, nervously.

"Come on in Detective Taylor," Amaryllis said. He cast a weary look to something she could not see but walked in and closed the door behind him. He wrung his hand for a couple of minutes before he spoke.

"In the course of the investigation we came across some information in relation to your family," Mac told her. "Were you aware that there was a chance James Potter might not be your biological father?" Amaryllis sighed.

"My mom's journal said as much," she admitted. "A few months into their marriage, they found out that James could not have children. Before he went missing / was believed to be dead, they were looking into other possibilities of having children. James and Lily promised each other that if anything happened to the other, they would try to move on. Mom did so about a month after she was told James was dead. She never stated the name of the person wanting to keep him safe because of the people after her and James, especially after James was presumed dead. I know him by his nickname, Lieutenant. What did you find out?"

"That I am your biological father," Mac admitted. Amaryllis stared at him, stunned. "Do you…did she ever say why she never told me that I was a father?"

"Just after she found out she was pregnant with me, her and James were almost killed," Amaryllis recalled, stunned "James obviously knew that I wasn't biologically his but he adopted me because he didn't want his line to end. He really loved Lily and would do anything for her. Because of that narrow escape, they decided to not tell you so that I would have at least one parent alive. They told my father's and mother's two closest friends your name but never wrote it down to be safe. All four of them either died, was falsely sent to prison, or was tortured to insanity before they could tell me the name."

-0-*-0-

Amaryllis was sure that her handwriting looked like when she was first beginning to write back when she was a little child. Of course, because she was using her left hand, it made sense.

"Just one last page," the nurse told him. Amaryllis sighed as she managed to scratch her somewhat awkward looking signature. By her side, Don was packing her stuff that had been brought to the hospital. Sitting on a chair was clean clothes of her own. Once she was officially signed out, Don would help her get dressed. It would be some time before she could do everyday things on her own. Already it had been a source of argument between Don and her, and Mac and her. She was not looking forward to having to be helped while she recovered.

She was hoping that a healer might be able to speed up the recovery process, but not so fast as it would be suspicious. While she recovered either Don or Mac would be with her. Although Don would be helping her get ready to leave the hospital, it would be Mac who would drive her home and spend the rest of the day with her. It was easier for Mac to get some time off considering she was his newly discovered daughter. She gave the nurse a tight smile and watched the nurse leave.

"Alright let's get you out of bed so you can get dressed," Don said. It took some time before they were able to work around her injuries and get her dressed. She was glad they had her take some pain medication before she got dressed; as she was sure, they had agitated a couple of them in the process. Don was tying her shoes when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Amaryllis called out. Don helped her into a wheelchair. The door opened and Mac walked in. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed she was already out of her hospital gown and in her everyday clothes. Don paid little attention to Mac's arrival and was looking at his phone. Amaryllis looked at his phone curiously.

"New case?" She wondered. Don nodded. Mac was surprised to note that automatically Amaryllis leaned over and Don kissed her before leaving as though they had done this thousands of times, Mac realized they probably had. "Stay safe and make sure I get a call if something happens." Don squeezed her hand.

"You'll be the first to know," Don said. He kissed her cheek and then left.

"You're his emergency contact," Mac realized.

"I am as he is mine," Amaryllis said. "You are my second emergency contact." Mac tilted his head.

"Good to know," Mac acknowledged. By the time they arrived at Don's apartment, Mac was extremely uncomfortable. He was becoming more and more aware of how close Don and Amaryllis were. Normally he would be happy for Don but Amaryllis was his daughter, his newly found daughter. He did not really know her all that well and he was already losing her. Once Amaryllis was comfortable in the living room, Mac headed to the kitchen to make something to eat for the two of them. Even though he had only been in Don's home a few times, he noticed the changes in the kitchen right away. He quickly put together lunch and brought the plates to the living room.

"You like to cook?" Mac asked while they were eating lunch. Amaryllis looked at him stunned.

"How did you know that?" Amaryllis wondered.

"Noticed some dishes that weren't here the last time I was here and they were high quality," Mac commented. "I figured they were yours."

"Correct," Amaryllis, agreed. "I also like to bake so you'll find those dishes in there as well. Don is a quick study, especially desert." She continued eating her lunch while Mac studied the living room. He realized that he could see Amaryllis's touch everywhere in Don's home.

"You two seem to be moving pretty quickly," Mac said. Amaryllis paused in her eating to study her father's face.

"I don't see how that is your business," she pointed out trying to seem calm, her white knuckles betraying her state of mind.

"I am your father and you shouldn't be rushing things Amaryllis," Mac snapped.

"You know Don," Amaryllis pointed. "You have known him longer than you have known me. You have known him for years! What is your problem?" Mac did not answer, except for the slam of the door that followed him. Amaryllis glared at the door but finished her lunch. When Mac had not come back by the time she needed to use the restroom, she was forced to call Don. Don was not thrilled when he realized that Mac had left her sitting in the living room with no way of moving around.

-0-*-0-

The click of the door was quiet but distinct to Don's ears. Mac was back. He heard the door shut and a minute later Mac was standing in front of Don. The stunned look on his face told Don that he had not realized that Don was home. He had only been expecting Amaryllis. Mac cleared his throat.

"Where is Amaryllis?" Mac asked. Don would not even look at him and it had him worried.

"In the bedroom asleep," Don answered. "Her medicine knocked her out not long after I got here. Imagine my surprise when I get a call from her saying you had left and she could not get to the bathroom."

"Let me explain, Don," Mac began to protest.

"Now I know you weren't called out, I made sure," Don continued, ignoring Mac. "Amaryllis told me that you started freaking out about how "fast" she and I were going. What the hell, Mac? Am I not enough for her now that you know for sure she is your daughter? Just last week you were asking me when I was going to propose!"

"I freaked out," Mac told him. "I freaked out that I was losing her before I even knew her. I took a walk to calm down, I had not realized the time; I should have. I would like to apologize to her." Don looked like he was in no mood to accommodate Mac and was about say so when both were startled by a scream from the bedroom. Before even fully registering their actions, both Don and Mac were grabbing their guns and rushing into the bedroom. On the bed, Amaryllis was fighting the bedding in the midst of a nightmare. Don holstered his gun quickly and went to her side. Mac was startled when he began singing to Amaryllis in Italian. He wasn't sure what Don was singing but it seemed to be calming Amaryllis down. At the end of the song, she seemed to be waking.

"Hey, I'm here," Don softly told her. Amaryllis smiled at him and attempted to reach for his hand. However her hand was tangled so Don took her hand instead. "Which one?"

"Ron and Hermione," she told him. Don nodded and carefully crawled into the bed with her, careful to not jostle her injuries. He locked his gun into a safe next to the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Different then past ones?" Don asked. She nodded, shaking. Don pulled her closer to him. Mac hesitantly stood in the door, feeling like an intruder watching them. Mac watched as Don softly sang to her and as she drifted back to sleep. When she was asleep, Don looked over at Mac and it was then Mac truly understood what he had failed to earlier. Don and Amaryllis had both been through a lot individually and together they supported each other and loved each other in any way possible. Just like he had had with Lily, however brief it had been in retrospect.


	4. Learning to Live Again

More Than You Know

Chapter 4

Learning to Live Again

 _I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you_

 _That every long lost dream lead me to where you are_

 _Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars_

 _Pointing me on my way into your loving arms_

 _This much I know is true_

 _That God blessed the broken road_

 _That led me straight to you_

 _Yes, it did_

 _Bless the Broken Road_ by Rascal Flatts

The first week after the incident that had Mac storming out, was tense and fraught with insecurities from all three involved. Mac tried his best but no matter what he did, it seemed wrong. He wanted to get to know his daughter but he bungled everything up. When he wasn't with Amaryllis taking care of her, he was pacing in his own apartment trying to figure out what to do next. It felt like he had been dumped in the ocean and told to find a treasure with only a compass and general instructions.

Currently Mac was pacing the length of his apartment as he contemplated a birthday present for his daughter, his first ever present for her. He had tried asking Don for some ideas but all he got was a raised eyebrow and a reminder that he wanted to do this on his own. He sighed and picked up a nearby box. After placing it on the table, he began thumbing through pictures and random objects from his time with Lily. It was the picture of him and Lily at a birthday party of one of his friends that made him realize what could be Amaryllis's birthday present.

-0-*-0-

"I really wish you wouldn't do that," Amaryllis said as she swatted his hand away from the cookie dough. Don grinned as he danced away with a spoon full of the dough. Amaryllis rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to placing balls of dough onto a cookie sheet. Don placed the spoon in the sink and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"How are you feeling?" Don asked as he watched her place the cookie sheet in the oven. Amaryllis sighed.

"Better than yesterday," she conceded. Don raised an eyebrow. She spun around his arms and buried her head into his chest. "As long as you are holding me." Don chuckled and placed a kiss on her brow. "Don." Her voice was weak and Don cursed under his breath as he rushed to get her back into her wheelchair. The doctor had told him that she needed to be up and about somewhat but to keep an eye on her as she was still weak from her injuries. Today she decided she wanted to use that time to make cookies for the detectives that Don works with.

"When was the last time you took your pain medication," Don asked as he crouched down in front of her. Amaryllis sighed.

"This morning," she admitted. Don shook his head. He had her eat a couple of crackers before she took the medication. For a few moments the apartment was completely silent as Amaryllis used a little strength to lean against Don while she waited for the medication to take effect.

"Can you keep an eye on the cookies?" Amaryllis asked. "I want to go lay down for a little bit." Don nodded. With no further words, Don assisted Amaryllis in getting into their bedroom and into bed. He left the wheelchair, phone, and other essentials in reach and gave her a kiss on the lips before heading back into the kitchen. He had just walked in when the timer went off. He checked the cookies and they were done so he pulled them out and put in a fresh sheet of dough. He set the timer and went to the table to work on some paper work. Once the last batch of cookies were done and they were placed in containers, Don put away the paper work and laid down next to Amaryllis. Almost immediately she turned to him in her sleep and Don wrapped her in his arms.

-0-*-0-

The second he walked into work, every eye was on him Don realized. After he called out Mac at his apartment a few weeks before everyone could see the tension between the two. It didn't help that Mac had to go back into work earlier than planned because a serial killer decided it was the perfect time to make an appearance. Mac and him talked of course but it was about work and everyone was watching both of them for some sort of…break or fight. Don wasn't sure if they were right but he was going try his hardest to keep it of the office.

"Hey guys, I bring cookies from Amaryllis," Don said as he broke from his thoughts. With a single mindedness, every cop within the vicinity converged on the containers of the cookies. He was laughing about some joke a cop cracked about Amaryllis being a goddess when Mac walked into the room. It was like someone turned off the volume the moment he was spotted. Mac headed straight for Don.

"We need to talk about the Simons case," Mac told him. Don tersely nodded and they headed out of the precinct. It was a short trip to Mac's office. Don wouldn't admit to himself that whatever was about to happen, he was thrilled was happening in private.

"They may not know any better but I know that case is done, what's really up?" Don asked. Mac sighed as he took his seat.

"Things have been…. tense with us," Mac admitted. "I wanted to clear the air as much as possible." Don tilted his head.

"How do you propose going about that Mac?" Don wondered. "From what I have seen, you haven't learned a damn thing after everything that happed. Amaryllis and I talk, Mac."

"I am an idiot, I admit that," Mac conceded.

"What?" Don scoffed when Mac continued to stare at him. "You expect me to disagree? You are an idiot. You act cold with your own daughter when before all you could talk about was getting to know her. What the hell is going on with you Mac?" Silently, Mac handed him the letter he had received the same day of the fight. Curiously he glanced at it.

"Read it," Mac simply said. Don sighed and plopped down into a seat. With each word, Don began to understand Mac's actions on that day and ever since.

"When were you supposed to get it?" Don asked.

"After their deaths and before I was to receive guardianship of her," Mac admitted. "They wanted me to be her guardian if something happened to them. Obviously that didn't happen but I can't help and think of everything I missed because someone decided to not follow their wishes." Don scrunched up his face.

"What does that have to do with how you have been acting?" Don asked. Mac raised an eyebrow.

"I showed her the letter the next day," Mac said. "She hates me."

-0-*-0-

By the time Don arrived home, Amaryllis was already in bed. After the conversation with Mac he realized that Amaryllis was lashing out at Mac because he could have been her father her entire life. She would have never had known the abuse she had suffered at her aunts. In short she blamed him for never knowing a childhood and she blamed him unfairly. Don knew it would be an uncomfortable conversation but one they needed to have. He made quick work of changing into his pajamas before slipping into bed beside her. Although her breathing was slow and she seemed to be sleeping, Don knew she was awake.

"I don't hate him," Amaryllis whispered. "I hate what we don't have because of choices made by others. I hate that every time he sees me he thinks of the short time he had with my mother and how I will never know her. They took away our choices, Don. He's my dad but so much time had passed. I don't know how to be a daughter. I don't know how to do this without someone coming out hurt." Don pulled her into his arms as he processed everything she said and what it meant.

"Tell him," Don whispered at first, then once more, louder. "Tell him, you can work on it together."

-0-*-0-

As he followed the SWAT team into the apartment of their suspect, Mac reviewed his conversation with Amaryllis from that morning. They decided to work on things slowly as they got to know each other as father and daughter. Right as they rushed in, the suspect (he matched the sketch they had) pushed a button on a strange remote. Immediately set on guard it didn't take him to long to realize that two steps later, a metallic noise came from underneath his foot. The sadistic grin on the man's face made Mac want to shot the guy.

"Enjoy your date, detective," the suspect taunted as he was dragged away. "I hear she's a bomb." Mac glared at the man and swore under his breath when he was out of sight. He wasn't sure how much later it was before he heard someone come back up the stairs.

"Please tell me you don't talk like that all of the time," a familiar voice came from behind him. Mac froze when he realized it was Amaryllis.

"You need to leave Amaryllis, I am standing on a bomb," Mac stammered as quickly as possible. "It is not safe to be here." Mac briefly wondered what she was doing there, she had no reason to be.

"You really are an idiot, Mac," Amaryllis told him, amused. Mac scowled. "I own more than just my chain of restaurants; I also own a security firm which includes bomb disposal. My firm was called in when your team said we had dealt with similar bombing devices in England several years ago. Normally I wouldn't be here while they are working on the bomb but when I heard your name in association with the bomb, I figured I could spend my time keeping your mind off of having to stand on a bomb." Mac shook his head, as quickly as he could be considering he was standing on a very sensitive bomb.

"You should still leave, it's not safe," Mac refuted. "As someone who owns a firm who disposes of bombs, you should know it is best to keep as little people in the vicinity. Please leave."

"Mac, please," Amaryllis pleaded. "If things don't go well this could be the last moments I have with you, have with my dad. Let me have that. I will leave if my disposal team thinks I need to and they will most definitely force me to leave if I try and refuse." Mac sighed.

"Fine, you can stay," he finally agreed. Someone cleared their throat. A man standing behind Amaryllis rose an amused eyebrow. He was tall, about the same height of Mac, maybe even taller, with brown hair, baby blue eyes and jagged scar that ran across his face. Amaryllis seemed to recognize him right away.

"Neville what do you got?" Amaryllis asked. Neville sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"BDU was right, it is a similar device to ones we've seen in England," Neville said tiredly. Amaryllis eyed him in concern but she also seemed worried.

"What level are we talking here?" Amaryllis asked. Neville's face twisted into a sour mask.

"Lestrange, level 7," Neville finally answered. "Add in a timer, and we are thinking a Greyback – level 8." Amaryllis winced.

"Who's working on it now?" she asked.

"Don't worry we already called in Bill," Neville seemed to understand what she was asking. His walkie beeped and went off a little to talk to whomever it was.

"How do you know Neville?" he wondered. Amaryllis smiled as she thought back to their first meeting.

"We meet on the train to school," she told him. "We later found out his mother is my godmother." Mac was confused.

"I've never heard you mention her," he said, confusion apparent on his face. Amaryllis sighed.

"After days after mom and James died, his followers went after Neville's parents looking for any information on their leader," she recalled. "They were tortured into insanity. I see them when I can and I have a research department dedicated to cases like theirs."

-0-*-0-

While he was sure they were still watching him because of the blow up from a couple months ago, the other cops and detectives seemed really tense and secretive whenever he entered the room. Annoyed with being treated with kid gloves, Don headed up to Mac's office to see if he knew what was going on. He was surprised to find that Mac wasn't in his office. He wasn't sure where or whom to go to next when he spotted Danny and Lindsey.

"Yo, Danny, Lindsey have you seen Mac?" Don asked. They exchanged looks that set Don on edge. "What's going on? What is everyone hiding from me?"

"Let's talk in Mac's office," Danny said while Lindsey went to find Stella. The second the office door closed, Don was eyeing Danny waiting for him to talk.

"What is it, Danny?" Don demanded.

"Remember the Folster case?" Danny asked. Don crunched up his face as he thought back to the case. A year before a series of young women showed up dead, in pieces. At first it was difficult to discern what was going on until the first bomb went off. The bomb had two or more pieces of 10 different women, each piece chosen carefully as shrapnel to cause as much damage as possible. Two more bombs went off before they were able to close in on a suspect, Gerald Wakeford. However, before they could bring him in, he disappeared and since then they were no breaks in the case.

"Yeah what about it?" Don asked.

"They finally caught up with him but not before he armed a bomb," Danny told him. "Mac is standing on that bomb, Amaryllis is with him, Don." His words were like a sudden ice cold shower.

-0-*-0-

"He really counted out 3,000 flowers one by one," Mac laughingly asked. Amaryllis's was holding her stomach as she nodded her agreement to the statement.

"Neville was really determined to go to the Yule Ball with Ginny and he wanted to make sure he had everything right," Amaryllis told him.

"Who did you go to the Yule Ball with?" Mac wondered. Amaryllis's face became bright red. Mac rose an eyebrow.

"I went with an old friend of mine, Oliver Wood," Amaryllis told him.

"How did you know each other?" Mac wondered. Amaryllis smiled.

"He was my team captain for three years," Amaryllis told him. "When I heard he was back in England, I figured I would have a better time with him than some random guy."

"I suppose you had a good time with him then," Mac wondered. Amaryllis nodded. Mac was about to ask another question when Neville walked in with two other people following closely behind. Amaryllis's face went white at the sight.

"No, no, no…no, no, no," Amaryllis muttered shaking her head. "You can't make me leave." Neville and the two men exchanged heavy looks. Before Amaryllis could protest anymore, the two men were dragging her out of the room.

"How bad is it?" Mac asked over Amaryllis's hysterical screams. He could see her trying to fight against the two men but she wasn't succeeding.

"Lord Voldemort, level 10 bad," Neville muttered before he continued to explain after spotting Mac's confused look. "Basically it means, no survivors are expected and to clear the building as fast as speed of light. We are also clearing out nearby buildings as the explosion radius is rather large." Mac closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"What does that mean for me?" Mac asked with a sense of dread.

"It means we are going to try our best but the last time it was set to this level, it did not end well," Neville hesitantly told him.

"When was the last time it was set at this level?" Mac asked.

"When Voldemort attacked the school they both went to," Neville admitted. "We were lucky that a prefect spotted the bomb before it went from bad to worse. He was the only death thankfully. The bomb had a timer on it and he wasn't able to get out in time after getting everyone out." Mac swore under his breath.

"Did Amaryllis know him?" Mac asked. For some reason, he could tell that this was hitting her pretty hard.

"He was her best friend," Neville answered. "They trained together, he was like an older brother to her. He adored her. Cedric had a fiancé, she was pregnant but he never knew. She died when she gave birth to a little boy. Amaryllis is his godmother and the little boy is growing up with his grandparents."

"How long do I have left?" Mac wondered.

"Ten minutes," Neville answered. "You have ten minutes until the bomb goes off unless we can disarm the bomb." If he could, Mac would have crumbled on the floor. He was just beginning to get to know his daughter and now he was going to lose it all.

"I don't suppose I can write a letter," Mac mused aloud. Neville shook his head. Mac sighed.

"Could you give me the room?" Mac asked. Neville nodded and left. Carefully Mac pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Don. He was relieved to get the man's voicemail.

"Don if you are listening to this, it means that I didn't survive the bomb," Mac said, his voice shaking. "I can't be there for Amaryllis anymore but you can. I know you love her and I want you to know, you would be an amazing husband to Amaryllis. As her father and friend, I am thrilled that you two are together. Thank you for loving her, she lights up when she is around you and I wish I could have been around to see any children you two have. Take care of her, Don. Goodbye." Carefully he put the phone back up and looked up. Flashes of his entire life passed by as he thought of the life he lived. He had many regrets but that couldn't be helped anymore. He closed his eyes and prepared himself to die. Then his phone beeped indicating the timer for the bomb ended.

"Mac!"


	5. The Ruins of Life

More Than You Know

Chapter 5

The Ruins of Life

 _A certain type of wind has swept me up_

 _But till it's found each bone_

 _I, I'm overcome_

 _There is an icy breath that escapes my lips_

 _And I am lost again_

 _A certain type of darkness is stalling me_

 _Under a quite mask of uncertainty_

 _I wait for light like water from the sky_

 _And I am lost again_

 _Sea of lovers_ by Christina Perri

Darkness. Pain. Dust.

What happened?

What happened?

-0-*-0-

The explosion rocked the entire block. Thankfully, the suspects apartment was the only one destroyed. The building that the apartment was in was intact, but the structure was not stable, which is why the firefighters were outside trying to figure out what to do. Currently they only knew of one person inside of the entire building. Mac Taylor. The bomb squad had evacuated with barely enough time to be out of the building let alone a safe distance away. At the moment, four of the bomb squad members were being treated for their injuries, all minor.

"We need to get in there!" Amaryllis told the firefighters. "Now!" The look on their faces told Amaryllis exactly why they weren't willing to go in the building for someone who was likely to be dead. "Fine, I'll go!" The firefighters were startled by her sudden statement and were too slow to react when she rushed past them into the building. One of the firefighters, the chief, cursed and rushed in after her with another firefighter trailing behind. Due to her quick reflexes from the war and her small frame, she was out of sight by the time the firefighters were inside the building with their full gear on.

"Boss, where is she?" the junior firefighter asked as they stepped through the debris.

-0-*-0-

"Mac! Mac!" Amaryllis called out as she ducked underneath another fallen beam. She swore when she tripped over a random box. To her surprise, the box was untouched by the explosion. From what she could see, the box was full of pictures and objects all related to Mac. She cursed as she realized that the suspect had set this all up. He was going after Mac, it was personal. Torn by the need to find Mac and wondering what was in the box she sent a quick text with a picture of the box as well as the contents along with her approximate location in the mess before moving on, calling out his name. Moments after she moved further into the mess searching for Mac, footsteps approached the box she had just left behind. By the time Danny reached the place Amaryllis had texted him, the box was long gone.

-0-*-0-

"Where is she?" Don yelled as he ran up to the scene of the explosion. "Where is she?!" Danny spun around. He handed Don his phone that was opened to the text message she had sent him with a picture of a box filled with things about Mac.

"I went to the location she sent Don and the box wasn't there," Danny told him. "She wasn't there; either; she had gone on. The firefighters are still in there but the structure hasn't been cleared entirely yet. Only part of the building is cleared and the rest, I believe that's where she is."

"Dammit!" Don shouted. "Dammit! Dammit!" Danny watched impassively as Don threw a fit and then broke down on the sidewalk. As he sat on the sidewalk, he placed his head in his hands. After a moment he began to run his hand through his hair anxiously. "What about Mac? Have they found him yet?"

"Yeah they did, he's in the hospital," Danny told him. "He's in pretty bad shape but he'll live. It was touch and go for a few hours though. Stella and Hawks are with him now. Once we found Mac and had him pulled out, I tried calling Amaryllis but I just get her voicemail. Don I had Adam trace her phone and her phone is still in there. The thing is we are not sure if she is still in there. Don we think someone set this entire thing up to grab her. Somehow they knew she would come to Mac's rescue and that she would be on her own when she did. It was an elaborate set up. They wanted to grab her."

-0-*-0-

When she came to she quickly realized that she was in a place she had never been before. It was unfamiliar, dark, dusty, and cold. The only indication that she wasn't alone was the fact she was chained to the wall she had been lying next to before she came to. A quick examination of the room told her that whoever put her there had been planning this for some time but had no idea that she was capable of magic, let alone wandless magic, which made no sense to her. The last thing she remembered was someone hitting her with a stunner from behind. Maybe a nonmagical working with a magical? But why? It made no sense.

She didn't have to wait long because before she could think any further on the subject the only door in the room opened. Blaise Zabani walked in. She felt as though the air had been knocked out of her. Before she had gone into training, there had been a beginning of the year dance which was an effort to liven up the moral after an attack before school started up and Blaise had asked her to the dance, she had accepted. She never got to go the dance because was pulled out for training before the dance even happened. Something she regretted deeply was not being able to say goodbye or apologize for being unable to attend the dance with him.

"Potter, Amaryllis Potter," Blaise taunted as he stalked up to her. "The times have changed and instead of being the hero you are the damsel in distress. How does that feel Potter?" Amaryllis shook her head while she tried to back up from him. She didn't get far as she was backed into the wall she was chained into. Blaise crouched in front of her.

"Do you remember how you said you would go with me to the Start of the Year dance? How you disappeared and left me dateless and the subject of complete humiliation? I didn't go just so you know. I didn't go and my little sister did. She died in that attack. Of course, you came in like the little hero you pretend to be. You are no longer the hero here, Potter. No one will get to be the hero here."

-0-*-0-

The beeps that came from the machines soothed Don's nerves only slightly. It gave him hope that if Mac could be recovered from the bombing and survive then Amaryllis could survive whatever she could possibly be going through. The second he found out that she had possibly been kidnapped, he lost it. The stress of everything that occurred with the bombing and the preceding bombings, he was tightly wound and about ready to snap from the stress. Her disappearance was his tipping point. Danny wrestled him to the ground and the paramedics took him to the hospital after sedating him. Currently he was sharing a room with an unconscious Mac. Danny had kept him up to date on the search for Amaryllis. They had gone back to the suspect they had dragged out just before he set the bomb for Mac.

It had taken some time before the man would spill. Apparently he had some beef against Mac for years. Mac had caught him in relation to a breaking and entering case. Someone had been killed and he had been in prison for ten years due to Mac's work. He blamed Mac for being in prison when his wife left him and took their daughter and then disappeared. He knew he wouldn't be able to get to Mac on his own. A month after he had been released from prison, two years ago, he had been approached by a man around Amaryllis's age.

He had a plan to take down Mac and someone else along with him. When the man's daughter walked onto the scene over a year and half before, the man who approached him was ecstatic. He had some sort of beef with her over the death of his younger sister. The months of planning and murders to create the bombs and then strategically place them around the city was mainly done by the mysterious man. However, they had one thing on their side. Neville Longbottom. As Amaryllis was considered a diplomat, the magicals – in particular the secret service of the magicals took the lead in the case. Neville was able to take a look in the man's head and come out with who the man's partner was – Blaise Zabani. Now they just have to track him down. Of course, it was easier said than done.

-0-*-0-

Zabani had left a few minutes earlier to take a bite of some food. He left a panting Amaryllis on the floor. Wincing as she took inventory of her injuries, she used her magic to remove the pain behind the wounds but left the wounds behind. Zabani would know that the magical suppressant handcuffs weren't working if the wounds disappeared. After a few minutes of him being gone, she banished the handcuffs and took stalk of possible escape routes. There were no windows, no vents, and only one door in and out of the room. Frustrated she shoved the wall only to be shocked when it moved and revealed another room. Cautiously she slipped through the opening and into the room. She jumped slightly when the wall closed behind her.

She was surprised to note that the room was almost identical to the room she had come from with the exception of a window. It was larger than the other room but also held a large cage. She slowly walked over to the window, careful to not make any noise so as to disturb whatever was in the cage. To her horror, a voice called out, one she recognized.

"AJ? AJ?"

-0-*-0-

The entire room was covered in pictures. It was creepy, Don decided. Every inch of the room was covered in pictures of Amaryllis and Don, sometimes together but mostly alone or with someone else. They were able to discover that the Walsh store bombing had been one of 16 bombing that Zabani and his partner were the cause of. The partner had observed her for weeks and had chosen the Walsh store because it was a street that Amaryllis was frequently on. When she had walked by that day he hit a switch and the bomb went off. She survived.

Zabani was furious and kept an eye on her in the following weeks of her recovery in the hospital and then later at home. As she was still recovering she wasn't out of her home without someone by her side so he knew he needed to get her alone to finish the job so to speak. He realized that to get her out on her own, they had to go after someone she cared about. Originally the plan had been to go after Don but he was constantly surrounded by cops and was too difficult to get to so they switched to Mac which pleased his partner.

They were thrilled when they realized Mac was the lead on their case so they decided to led him to the partner in an effort to have him walk right into a bomb. He activated the bomb the second Mac walked onto it. He had wanted them to believe that the bomb was motion activated as well as pressure sensitive. However, the truth was it was on a timer and only on a timer. Mac could have left at any time.

The pressure sensitive portion that Neville and the bomb squad had seen was in fact a fake, used to convince all involved that Mac could not move. After the bomb went off, Zabani went in and grabbed Amaryllis while she was searching for Mac. The box that had the things related to Mac was the partners and a way to track where Amaryllis was at in the mess. They knew it would be difficult to track her in the aftermath of the explosion so they had several key points to help them discover where she was. The box was the only of the key points to survive. Each was tagged with a track and designed to capture her attention in order for them to gain access to where she was.

What worried Danny the most is that in addition to the picture of Mac and Amaryllis there were pictures of a man in what appeared to be a cage. From his look, it was likely he had been there for years. Danny called in their magical counterparts for the case and watched as Neville took in the view. When he came across the pictures of the man in the cage, he froze in horror.

"That is no stranger in the cage, he is not a John Doe," Neville whispered, his voice strangled. "That's Cedric Diggory." Danny jerked in shock. He remembered every bit of Amaryllis story, including how Diggory was the only death in the bombing at her old school.

"If that's Diggory then who died in the bombing and why did they identify him as Diggory?"

"That's a good question."

-0-*-0-

Although it been years since she had seen him, she knew it was him not someone who was potioned to look like him but actually him. He had been the only one to know her middle name and to call her AJ. He said it was what siblings did. They gave each other nicknames, watched out for each other, and so on. As she never had a sibling of her own, she took his word for it.

"Amica," he breathed out. She rushed to the cage and using wandless magic opened the door to the cage. Carefully she pulled him out, his weight leaning on her. From the years he had been stuck in the cage and the lack of substantial food and water, he was extremely light.

"Oh Cedric," she sighed as studied him. He was barely keeping his eyes open and was shaking from weakness. It took some time to get him to the window. Then she helped him through the window and she slipped through the window as well. Now that they were out she just had to figure out where they were and get home or somewhere safe. Easier said than done, she thought sarcastically.


End file.
